Apparatus for applying liquids and tints to textile fibers



J. w. POWISCHILL ETAL 2,749,736

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS AND TINTS TO TEXTILE FIBERS June 12, 19562 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1954 J n 1 6 J. w. POWlSCHlLL EI'AL2,749,736

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS AND TINTS TO TEXTILE FIBERS Filed July26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR APPLYINGLIQUIDS AND TINTS TO TEXTILE FIBERS John W. Powischill, Cheltenham, andEdward M. Hyde, Lafayette Hill, Pa., assignors to Proctor & Schwartz,Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July26, 1954, Serial No. 445,562

4 Claims. (Cl. 68-205) The present invention relates to fiber blendingapparatus and processes, and more particularly to novel means forapplying conditioning fluid to the fibrous material.

Heretofore the practice followed in mixing and blending various kinds offibers, fibers of the same general but of different staple length, anddyed fibers whether for a specific shade of the same color, or theblending of colors to produce a different color, has been by mechanicalmeans utilizing a plurality of bale breaker feeds, each feed opening onecomponent or part of a component of the mixture and delivering itsproportionate share to a common conveyor apron in a continuous stream ofpartially opened fiber bundles. This discharge of the fiber bundles fromthe multiplicity of bale breaker feeds was laid in rough laminardisposition on the common conveyor apron, somewhat resembling a seriesof a disconnected piles. The height of the piles was largely controlledby manipulatingthe surface speed of the common conveyor apron and sincethe accurate setting of the surface speeds, of the various spike apronsof the multiplicity of bale breaker feeds and the common conveyor apron,was virtually impossible, the proper dispersion of the Various fiberbundles could not be accurately achieved.

Furthermore, the foregoing was a continuous process and the stock sohandled could not be brought to rest for stabilization of any componentin the blend, hence, equalization of the moisture content was notattained. It is well known that no two bales of any fibrous materialhave either exactly identical physical characteristics or exactlyidentical moisture content and that further, no two batches of dyedstock have identical colors or identical moisture contents at the timethey are to be blended and mixed. Therefore, a true homogeneous blendcould not heretofore be made where long and short fibers are dispersedin a uniform manner with each cubic foot of the blend having a moisturecontent identical to that of every other cubic foot of the blend.Further, the results of the improper mixing and blending is weak yarnand the cloth from such yarn cannot conceivably be of first quality.

Related to the foregoing problems for applying conditioning liquids tofibrous materials is that of applying tints of various colors to textilefibers for identification, conditioning and other purposes. Apparatusfor such purpose has, heretofore, been very unsatisfactory and.commercially inefficient because the tinted stock was very spotty and inmany cases too wet for immediate carding; the pumping devices requiredexcessive maintenance; pipe lines and the pump could not be readilyflushed out when colors and emulsions were changed; and the orifices inthe spray nozzles frequently became clogged. As a result of theseinherent weaknesses, a considerable amount of time was lost daily tryingto keep the apparatus operative even though the results wereunsatisfactory.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatusfor applying tints of various colors to textile fibers in an etficientand efiective manner without producing spotty stock or one which is toowet for carding.

This and other objects of the invention and the numerous features anddetails of the construction and assembly of the elements thereof arefully set forth and described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. la is a side view in elevation of one portion of a fiber blendingapparatus which forms an associated part of the system of the invention;

Fig. 1-b is a side view in elevation of the apparatus as continued fromFig. 1-11;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation, partly broken away, of a controlsection of the system of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a detail view broken away of a spray unit and its control;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5, of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Referring initially to Figs. l-a and 1-b, one form of fiber blendingapparatus is shown comprising a hopper 19 into which the fibers, whethernatural, synthetic or dyed, are placed to be delivered to a bale breaker11, of any conventional type, for opening the stock for delivery intothe trunk line of the system. As the stock is opened in the breaker 11,a pneumatic lift including a conveyor duct 12 and exhauster 13, carriesthe stock upward to enter a condenser 14, preferably of the double drumtype, such as shown in Patent No. 2,452,427, where the refuse and fineparticles are drawn off and the cleaned stock delivered into a chute 15'leading to a hopper 16 supplying the picker feed unit 17. This unit 17discharges the partially opened stock upon the feed table 18 forautomatic delivery to the primary picker 20.. The picker 20 communicatesby way of a duct 21 with a second condenser 22, also preferably of thedouble drum type, the stock being conveyed pneumatically through theduct 21 under the suction produced by an exhauster 23 by way of a,conduit 24 which communicates with the condenser 22.

The stock is discharged from the condenser 22. onto a conveyor 25 fordelivery to a roller distributor 26, preferably of the type shown inPatent No. 2,433,790, where the thoroughly opened fibers are distributedin a layer upon the fioor of the primary magazine 27. This floor, in thepresent instance, is a controlled belt conveyor 28 arranged to remainidle until the bin has become, filled or partly filled according torequirements, as which time it is started to transfer the bin contentsto a secondary magazine bin 30 where the floor is again a controlledconveyor 31, which is arranged to remain idle for a predeterminedperiod.

The stock is fed by the conveyor 31 onto an inclined conveyor 32 whichcarries it through the breakdown unit 33 where the rotary action of thebreakdown rolls cuts through the multiplicity of layers of the componentparts to thoroughly mix them during the passage of the stock through thebreakdown and delivery section 3.4, which latter discharges upon asuitably driven apron 35 for delivery to a feed table 36 of a secondarymixing picker 37. If additional emulsion or other wetting agent is nowdesired it can be applied at this point. The secondary mixing picker 37is arranged to discharge the blended stock into an airtrunk line 38where pneumatic means conveys it to the card room or any other place.

In case additional mixing of the dyed stock is found necessary, a returntrunk line 39 leads from the trunk line 38 to communicate with the duct21, and thus discharges the stock again into the condenser 22pneumatically by the exhauster 23. A manually operable damper 40 islocated at the junction of the ducts 38 and 39 for selectivelycontrolling the stock delivery. In one position 3. the blended stockexits by line 38 to the card room, and in its other position returnsstock for reblending. When returned for additional treatment, thecondenser 22 discharges the stock onto the roller distributor 26 forrelaying in the magazine 27 and completing the treating cycle. Thisreblending step can be repeated as often as required until the desiredeffect is obtained and without danger of fiber breakage. This relayingof the blends is especially effective in processing dyed stock andblending by color.

While the foregoing relates more specifically to the batch blending ofthe fibers, the invention comprehends a novel means of applyingcondition fluids, such as dyes and other tinting agents, to the fibers.Referring to Figs. 2 to 6, one form of apparatus is shown for applyingliquid tints of various colors to the textile fibers, such apparatusbeing arranged to spray the stock as it leaves one or the other of themixing pickers 20 or 37 as the selected position may be. As here shown,this tinting unit is located in the duct 21, just beyond its junctionwith the return line 39, so that either blended or stock for reblend ingcan be tinted according to requirements, and comprises a duct 72 havinga restricted passage 73 with which two or more spray heads 74communicate respectively from opposite sides thereof. The passage 73functions as a Venturi to change the velocity of the air relative tofiber bundles due to inertia difference to air and thereby producemaximum turbulence and uniform contact of spray with fibers. The staticvelocity of the air through the duct 72 is of the order of 3,500 feetper minute, increasing to 10,000 or 12,000 feet per minute at thethroat, though it may be varied to meet conditions. This high velocityof the air assists in complete atomization of the spray particles. Useof the Venturi passage 73 has the further advantage of a static pressuredrop at the throat thus reducing the air pressure below that of thesurrounding room so that the fitting of the spray nozzles in the Venturican be done without seals against the outleakage of the air, spray andfibres.

For supplying the tinting liquid to the spray heads 74, a supply pipe 75connects by way of two flexible pipes 76 with the respective heads 74,and is under the control of a solenoid valve 77 in the discharge pipe 78of a pump 80. The pump 80 is driven by a motor 81 and has its suctionpipe 82 immersed at its lower end in the liquid supply tank 83. The pipe78 has a return 84 to the tank 83 and includes a pressure regulatingvalve 85. The solenoid valve 77 is included in an electrical circuit 86including a suitably mounted switch 87, preferably of the micro type. Inthe present instance with the switch closed the solenoid is energized toclose the valve 77, but when the circuit is broken by the opening of theswitch the solenoid is deenergized and mechanically opens the valve 77in a well-known manner for the spraying operation. The tank 83 may beprovided with a special pump for recirculating settling solids so thatthe dyes may be mixed with water directly in the tank and maintained inmixed condition without settling out of the solids. The arrangement ofthe tank 83 and nozzles is such that flushing out of the tank andchanging of the dye color can be readily accomplished simply by pumpingout the tank and refilling it by selectively opening and closingappropriate valves.

. For controlling the switch 87, one or more detector gates 88 arepivotally suspended by ears 90 upon a fixed rod 91 ,to extendtransversely across the conveyor belt 18 so that the lower end of eachterminates in the path of material upon the conveyor which traverses thecasing as will be understood. Preferably, the lower ends of the gates 88are curved to present convex faces towards the incoming material. Also,the several gates are connected to swing in unison by a connecting strap92. The supported position of the switch 87 is such that when the gates88 hang vertically, that is with no material feeding, its roller springcontactor 93 is biased into contact with that face of one of the gateswhich projects above the pivot point 91. In this position the switch 87is held closed but any moving material contact with the gates 88 causesa counter-clockwise swing of the gates 88, from the position shown inFig. 3, which is followed by the biased contactor 93 to open thecircuit. Thus, so long as material is contacting and holding the gatesoffset from the vertical the solenoid valve will be open for therequired spraying operation while the set regulating valve maintains thepredetermined supplied pressure.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to suchdisclosures, and changes and modifications may be made therein withinthe scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A spray mechanism for textile fibers, comprising the combination of aduct, pneumatic means for feeding fibers through said duct, a conveyorfor conducting the fibres to said pneumatic means, a spray head in saidduct for discharging a liquid upon the passing fibers therein, a valvefor controlling said head, means connecting said valve to a source ofliquid under pressure, and means actuatable by the passage of fibres onsaid conveyor operable to maintain said valve open and discharge sprayonto the fibres in said duct so long as the conveyor continues toconduct fibres to said pneumatic means.

2. A spraying mechanism for textile fibers in accordance with claim 1,wherein said actuatable means is a pivoted member suspended above theconveyor in the path of the fibres thereon.

3. A spraying mechanism for textile fibers in accordance with claim 1,wherein said valve controlling means includes an electrical circuit, asolenoid in said circuit operatively connected to said valve to open thesame when energized and a switch operated by movement of said actuatablemeans to effect energization of said solenoid.

4. A spraying mechanism for textile fibers, comprising the combinationof a duct having a Venturi passage therein, pneumatic means for feedingfibers through said duct and passage, spray heads arranged in saidpassage for discharging a liquid upon the passing fibers therein, avalve for controlling said heads, means connecting said valve to asource of liquid under pressure, conveyor means to conduct the fibers tosaid pneumatic feeding means, and means actuatable by the passage offibers on said conveyor operable to maintain said valve open anddischarge spray onto the fibers in said Venturi passage so long as theconveyor continues to conduct fibers to said pneumatic means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,008,780 Booth Nov. 14, 1911 1,403,126 Lyth Jan. 10, 1922 2,114,723Paasche Apr. 19, 1938 2,568,499 Hood Sept. 18, 1951 2,578,427 HusseyDec. 11, 1951

1. A SPRAY MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE FIBERS, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF ADUCT, PNEUMATIC MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS THROUGH SAID DUCT, A CONVEYORFOR CONDUCTING THE FIBRES TO SAID PNEUMATIC MEANS, A SPRAY HEAD IN SAIDDUCT FOR DISCHARGING A LIQUID UPON THE PASSING FIBERS THEREIN, A VALVEFOR CONTROLLING SAID HEAD, MEANS CONNECTING SAID VALVE TO A SOURCE OFLIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, AND MEANS ACTUATABLE BY THE PASSAGE OF FIBRES ONSAID CONVEYOR OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID VALVE OPEN AND DISCHARGE SPRAYONTO THE FIBRES IN SAID DUCT SO LONG AS THE CONVEYOR CONTINUES TOCONDUCT FIBRES TO SAID PNEUMATIC MEANS.